Indiana court records show that courts ordered an arrest warrant against Westphal on August 30th. He’s charged with intimidation, a criminal misdemeanor. The specific state law listed is 35-45-2-1(a)(1), which references “a person who communicates a threat to another person, with the intent that the other person engage in conduct against the other person’s will.”

The Indiana Daily Student reports that Westphal is accused of threatening a fellow swim coach during a meeting about a club merger. Westphal met the other coach – who is an Indiana University swimming alum – at a restaurant to discuss the merger of Btown Aquatics and Indiana Swim Club, per the Daily Student. Westphal is on the Board of Directors for Indiana Swim Club.

Update: in a report by The Indy Star, the coach has been confirmed to be IU alum Max Irwin, who now coaches for Btown Aquatics. The Star reports that Irwin recorded the conversation where Westphal allegedly threatened him.

Westphal allegedly told the other coach that he has “control over the coaching career” of that other coach, and could “be an asshole, is ruthless and would squash him.” The Daily Student reports that Westphal held a prior “lawful act” over the coach.

Westphal was released on bail.

Indiana gave the following statement: “Indiana University Athletics has been made aware of the incident involving Indiana University associate head swimming coach Mike Westphal. IU Athletics will continue to gather facts and take further action as it deems appropriate.”

About Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson swam for nearly twenty years. Then, Jared Anderson stopped swimming and started writing about swimming. He's not sick of swimming yet. Swimming might be sick of him, though.
Jared was a YMCA and high school swimmer in northern Minnesota, and spent his college years swimming breaststroke and occasionally pretending …